In office environments it is common to find workspace partitions in the form of modular wall panels. These panels are typically not designed to run from floor to ceiling but rather are free-standing and are assembled as modules to enclose or partially enclose a workspace thereby forming a so-called “cubicle” workspace. Wall panel systems provide a substantial benefit in the workplace environment by affording the ability to rapidly reconfigure a workspace with minimum disruption and with no need to move walls. Thus, such systems have gained wide acceptance.
Many forms of wall panel systems are known, having various constructions and different aesthetic characteristics. By way of example only, one common form of office panel is a self-supporting substantially planar construction formed from a metal frame surrounding a core of relatively lightweight material such as fiberboard or fiberglass, having sound deadening capabilities. Often, these panels are covered with pieces of fabric supplied in patterns which are meant to enhance the particular decor of the office environment. By way of example only, and not limitation, illustrative wall panel constructions which incorporate outer fabric constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,606 in Finses and U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,924 to Mason, both of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Due to the physical construction of typical office panel systems, it is generally impractical to mount personal or work-related articles across the panel faces. In this regard, typical mounting options such as nails, screws, tacks and the like have the disadvantage of puncturing the decorative covering and inner core materials. Such puncturing may substantially degrade the appearance of the panel, thereby reducing the ability to reuse the panel in a different configuration at a later time. High levels of perforation also have the possibility of reducing sound insulation properties. Likewise, non-perforating adhesive techniques such as glue, tape and the like may also damage the panel surface when the adhered items are removed. In addition, such adhesive techniques may provide relatively limited holding strength. Thus, such adhesive techniques may be of limited use in supporting larger items.